What does self-directed behavior mean for IHSS protective supervision?

As part of the IHSS program, protective supervision is available to individuals who require 24/7 adult supervision to prevent injury to themselves or others due to severely impaired judgment, orientation, and/or memory.

Protective supervision is awarded for recipients who are non-self-directing and whose risk of harm to self or others is due to their severe cognitive impairment. Non-self-direction is defined as “an inability, due to a mental impairment/mental illness, for individuals to assess danger and the risk of harm, and therefore, the individuals would most likely engage in potentially dangerous activities that may cause self-harm.”

Protective supervision will not be awarded for intentionally self-injurious behavior, intentional violence to others, or damage to property. While protective supervision is not available in anticipation of a spontaneous medical emergency due to a known medical condition, supervision may be awarded if the recipient requires constant supervision to prevent the removal of life-sustaining devices because the recipient doesn’t understand the consequences of their actions.

For more information, see our full article on IHSS protective supervision.